The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20
A DEBT PAYING RELIGION
DOWN WITH THE DUST, OR SETTLE I.
FIRE AND BIRTHSTONE.

PiouS Scn,NpS who do not Pay theii
Debts are Doing More Harm than
Drunkards and Dancers --- The
Amen Corner Should be Kept
Clear of Debt Dodgers and Finan.
cial Cheats...JeSIs Christ Didn't
Undertake to Settle Store Bills
and Like Debts.
Just Mt this time our country needs re!i
zion that Will make y man ray his debts
shouting don'f settle old notes and accounts
with tiod and man-ca>h up. We want &c
pounce right on fellow and put him out oi
church IL he goes 10 q ball, or theatre. or gets
on IA drunk, but never say Il word 10 the pouS
Sc.,Inp who never pays his debts. Preachers
and prorle vino never pay their debts are do.
ing the church more harm than dancers aiI,i
drUIkardS-there are more OF them in tho
church. Reader, am getting close 70 you ?
Then lay down the paper and 90 and pay up
and yu,, can sread on with ease. And don I
you top pi ying bccaEse the "statute of limi-
tatior excuses Iii" open account yOn made
tor yuur bread and meat-G DDS law knows
no Such statute You pay Il III cash or God
will make you pay 1t in fire and birthstone.
God knows no such excuse from paving rs
cUse to keep rom paying Your deb:S and YOU
can stop singing "wnen can read my title
clear 10 mansions III the slieS"-you.ve got
n'.n" MP thcrc. you may 'ar, Il would pay II
c)u'd." How hard have vnu tried: II try
ing at this moment coui' you say, 81 have
done all III my power. Have you tried to
save a little each week or month for your
debts? Are you spending no money for
things to eat and wear that you could do with
out: How much do you spend per year for
cigars and tobacco: Make your calculation.
Put TIE amount TO your debts. Do YOU eat
danteS and luXuric$: Palmer diet would
keep you from making doctors bills iha. You
Won't pay, ana bring up bank accounts. DO
you strut about with "n umbrella over your
Il, lI-S
ing sun? Don't you cut shines In hired turn
outs (may be they are not paid forJ when you
might walk and use the money to make your
creditors smile? A palmer suit would be
more becoming till you can pay for those worn
out last season. When expenses not ueceS-
sarv for the feeding and clothing of the body
are cut Off and applied to the payment Of
debts, then you will grow in favor with God,
and not till then does God excuse you. Re-
pentauce on this point must be OF that Cody
sort that necdetE not to be repented OF. Read
er, were you sorry that you had not paid your
debts when you made profession OF rol.
gionc II you were not, that is just why you
have not got a debt-payirg religion. True re-
pentance has retroactive us we'll as u pros
pective effect OH the life of the believer He
will as far as possible make good his past
wrongs. Many new converts sing, Jesus
paid II AL, all TO Him owc.,-no such thing !;
Jesus did not pay i: all. neither do you owe
all 10 Him. II the week before you were con-
yerted YOU owed your neighbor ten dollars
and you were able 10 pay ii, and you owe that
neighbor ten dollars yet, Jesus did not pay
that for you. II you dout pay that debt 1t
will meet you u, your Judgment jnst as sure as
YOU are sinner. 1t is mean in you to expect
JESUS To pay deb,S for YOU that YOU can gay
yourself. If you have Christian heart IN
yCu, think how much Jesus paid for you that
you never could nave met at Gods bar OF in
flexible Justice. Some people think that the
cleansing stream Of Jesus blood washed SINAI
away and delugcd the law-no such thing.
Jesus came not to destroy, but 10 fulfill, and
gave grace that we through Him might fulfill.
Jesus everywhere enforccs the command
ments as the rule of life.
At the close of our great revival at fifth
street church two years ago Il number Of
youngmcn came to me to know II they ought
10 60 and pay bills that they had made at bar
rooms for whi>key, etc. told them to. "owc
spoken of'-gve the devil his dues All OF
those young men save one or two, went and
paid up those bad debts and have had no
more. Those who could not see that II was
their duty to pay those debts have returned
to their old paths and their second state is
worse than the first
Then let the whole church pray for re-
vival of the deht-payins religion. In every
revival let prayers he made that the new con-
verts may have grace TO pay up old debts and
not contract new ones without good pr0babtl-
ity of payi"g them. Let the ministry en-. )rce
this duty publicly and privately (with discrC
tom and great good can be accomplished. If
the preachers would look after this matter Of
debt paying among their congregations thclr
own Ge1iS nl.!tt DE more promptly p;ilu-
chickens com" hn!lc 10 roo>t Both preacher
and people nccl to he more cautious, prayer
ful and payful along this line. The great ne
cesSty OF the present time Is confidence
among the people. Let the church demand
and command her membership TO live up to
their promises and contracts and soon pres
eut financial darkness will give way 10 q
brighter morn of prosperity to all business
circles. Keep the Amen corners and front
seats clear of members who can and won't
nav their debts (the pulpit, too) and the word
preached will reach sinners. May God give
increase TO these words which are written for
the promotion of His kingdom in the prac-
tical dealings with men.-lter. u. ii. IHtte,
Wilmington, " C.
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